Henry David Thoreau鈥檚 Walden stands as the foundational text for the environmental movement and as a model for the practice of nature writing. In The Walden Experiments, Robert Thorson tells the story of how, after several discarded drafts of social critique, Thoreau resuscitated Walden with a sharp swerve toward science. Thorson invites us to read鈥攐r reread鈥�Walden to discover the observations, empirical thinking, and scientific explanations supporting this canonical work of literature. Chapter by chapter, he guides us through Walden鈥檚 relevance for such contemporary scientific concerns as climate change, ecological collapse, water supply, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and technology.
Thoreau’s first 鈥渆xperiment鈥� of living deliberately took place in a one-room house at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847. This was followed from 1851 to 1852 by a little-known second experiment of trying to live deliberately in the midst of society as a sojourning scientist. Thorson鈥檚 account of a science-revitalized version of Walden helps us appreciate Thoreau’s masterpiece not only for its prophetic, lyrical, uplifting, witty, and timeless advice on living sustainably, but also as a historic benchmark for anchoring our modern solutions. Exploring the science that underlies Walden enhances our understanding of the deeper meanings Thoreau draws from nature.
Robert M. Thorson is professor of Earth sciences at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of Walden’s Shore: Henry David Thoreau and Nineteenth Century Science, The Boatman: Henry David Thoreau’s River Years, and The Guide to Walden Pond.
"Deep insights into America’s founding naturalist."鈥�Kirkus Reviews
“No writer has ever better combined a social critique with a scientific underpinning; as this fine account makes clear, Thoreau was not just ahead of his time but of our time too. A remarkable reintroduction to the classic American book!”—Bill McKibben, author The End of Nature and Here Comes the Sun
“Think you know Thoreau? Robert Thorson will make you think again. Thoreau the scientist, surveyor, and mathematician has been hiding in plain sight in the pages of Walden. Understanding Thoreau's commitment to both empiricism and Transcendentalism makes him an even more compelling mentor for the modern environmental movement.”—Marcia Bjornerud, author of Timefulness and Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks
“This engaging, thought-provoking, humorous examination of the scientific underpinnings of Walden’s structure and content, and Thoreau’s outlook on the world, opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of the book and of Thoreau himself. Let Robert Thorson reintroduce you to Henry David Thoreau and to Walden.”—Ellen Wohl, author of Following the Bend: How to Read a River and Understand Its Nature
“No Thoreau scholar has a more commanding grasp than Robert Thorson of the significance of Thoreau’s contributions to the history of nineteenth century and modern science in all its branches.”—Lawrence Buell, author of The Environmental Imagination: Thoreau, Nature Writing, and the Making of American Culture and Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently
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